Hydraulically driven oscillatory brush



July 4, 95@ J. n. REID HYDRAULICALLY DRIVEN oscILLAToRY yBRUSH Filed Jan. 5, 1945 INVEN TOR. yam: a0. eem

Patented July 4, i950 HY DRAULICALLY DRIVEN OSCILLATORY BRUSH .lohn D. Reid, Oak Ridge, Tenn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by `the United States Atomic Energy Commission.`

Application January 5, 1945, Serial No. 571,433

2 Claims. l

This invention is concerned with cleaning or scrubbing means and is particularly directed to a power operated brush for cleaning or scrubbing surfaces.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a cleaning or scrubbing device utilizing water or other cleaning fluid and which is so constructed and arranged that the cleaning fluid is entirely recovered or saved after the cleaning operation has been effected. The purpose to be achieved by this objective is that of cleaning or scrubbing a surface with a cleaning iluid which dissolves certain materials from the surface and which may then be recovered later from the cleaning uid or medium by chemical recovery processes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cleaning device consisting of a scrubbing brush having a housing around the brush which can be held in contact with the surface to be cleaned in iluidtight relationship therewith and the housing having a connection thereto whereby the cleaning medium or nuid and air can be withdrawn from within the housing and saved.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device as in the previous object wherein the power operating means is a device operated by the cleaning uid or medium which is supplied under pressure to the operating means and then to the brush or other cleaning element itself.

Another object of the invention is to provide a power operating means for an automatic brush or the like consisting of a vane arranged to oscillate in response to iluid under pressure supplied alternately to the opposite sides of the vane.

Further objects and numerous of the advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the device of my invention taken along the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is another sectional view of the invention taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises a cylinder or cylindrical block member I which can be seen on both gures, and this member ts within a circular shield or skirt 2 which surrounds the scrubbing element. The scrubbing element consists of a commercial brush 3 which is a circular device. that is, it is round, and it is mounted on an axle or spindle 4 which is journalled centrally in the member I as shown. The brush 3 is attached to a screw threaded nipple at the right end of member 4 by means of a nut 5 as shown. A plate 4I is attached to the left face of member I by acorn nuts as shown.

As will be described below, in the operation of the apparatus the brush is oscillated back and forth through an angle of for scrubbing while at the same time water is admitted through a longitudinal bore in the axle of the brush, and is then dispersed through'the brush by centrifugal force; both water and air are withdrawn from the vicinity of the brush through a vacuum connection.

At the right end of the skirt 2, a brass rod 6 is soldered to the skirt all the way around and tted over the brass rod is split rubber tubing indicated by the numeral 1. The device in operation is held against the surface of the tank wall with the rubber tubing 1 forming a bearing surface.

The member I has a sector cut away as may be seen in the upper part of the figures, this being designated by the numeral 8 and within this cutaway area a vane 9 oscillates back and forth through 60 to operate the brush 3, the bottom part of the vane 9 fitting in a slot in the spindle 4 as may be seen on Fig. l.

The vane 9 is caused to osciliate back and forth by the pressure of the water which is supplied to the brush as will be described. Water may be admitted to the cutaway 8 on either side of the vane 9 through channels II and I2 in the member I. The channels II and I2 communicate with a sleeve valve designated generally by the numeral I3. 'Ihe valve I3 comprises a sliding member I4 which slides in 'a channel cut transversely in the member I; the Valve member I 4 has channels I5 and IB cut transversely therein, and these channels can be brought into registry with the channels I2 and `II respectively when the valve member I4 is moved to the right and to the left. Channels I5 and yI 6 can also be brought into registry with channels I1 and I8 in the member I which align with channels I2 and I I respectively, the channels I1 and I8 being connected to tubes I9 and 20 which connect to a Y connection 2|, the source of water supply being connected to the Y connection.

The valve member I4 also has angular channels 22 and 23 in a V-shape which cooperate with channels 24 and 25 cut in the member I and forming a V, the two channels 24 and 25 connecting with a tube 26 which forms a water outlet. When the valve member I4 is moved to the right as shown in Fig. l, channel 23 connects II with 25 and when member I4 is moved to the left 22 connects I2 and 24. Thus, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, water can only be admitted through I9, and then through I1, I5, and I2 to the left side of vane 9 for moving thebrush from member il, and as spindle 4 oscillates, pin' Il cooperates with pins 32 moving the valve member Il back and forth so as to admit water alternately'to opposite sides of vane 9 so as to cause the vane to oscillate as described andto similarly cause the brush l to oscillate.

The water supply to the brush is through two longitudinal bores 3l and Il in the spindle I which are in communication with opposite sides of the vane 9 by channels I5 and ll. Thus, the water can at all times pass from either side of the vane 9 through the channels and 36, and the bores 3l and 3| to the center of the brush where it is dispersed or diiused by centrifugal force. As described above, water and air are withdrawn from within the skirt 2 by way of vacuum connection 4l. From the foregoing it can be seen that the dey vice described can be held against `a surface with the tubing 1 bearing against the surface so that the interior of the housing formed by skirt 2 is substantially fiuidtight so that the water or other medium used for cleaning purposes can all be saved by withdrawing it through the connection Il. Thus, any matter which becomes suspended in the cleaning medium or dissolved therein can later be recovered therefrom by various chemical or other recovery processes.

Those skilled in the art will observe that my invention provides an eilicient device wherein the desired purposes are achieved and cleaning can be effectively done by reason of the rapid oscillatory motion of the brush. The pressure of the .water or other cleaning medium used is utilized as the source of power for operating the brush.

The foregoing description of my invention is representative of its preferred form and it is intended that the disclosure be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense. It is into cause it to oscillate and move said shaft, said 0 brush being mounted on said shaft adjacent one end thereof, and means forming a housing around the brush constructed and arranged so as to adapt it to be held against a surface so that the brush is in contact with the surface and the engagement between the housing and the surface is substantially uidtight and means for conducting said fiuidthrough the brush to the interior of the housing and withdrawing it therefrom.

2. A cleaning device of the character described comprising in combination, means forming a brush adapted for scrubbing a surface, power operating means for said brush for causing the brush to move in scrubbing relationship with the surface, said last means comprising ashaft, aV

vane carried on said shaft and means whereby iiuid under pressure is alternately admitted to opposite sides of the said vane to cause it to oscillate said shaft, said brush being mounted on said shaft and means forming a housing around the brush constructed and arranged so as to adapt it to be held against a surface so that the brush is in contact with the surface and the engagement between the housing and the surface ls substantially uidtight and means for admitting a fluid to the interior of the housing and withdrawing it therefrom, said last means comprising passageways formed in said shaft and communicating with the opposite sides of said vane so that the fluid which operates the vane is conveyed through the shaft and discharged substantially centrally through the brush, and provides the cleaning medium.

JOHN D. REID.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 118,867 Mather Sept. 12, 1871 216,369 Atwell June 10, 1879 285,271 Jackson Sept. 18, 1883 661,277 Rix Nov. 6, 1900 938,089 Svoboda et al Oct. 26, 1909 949,727 Farrington Feb. 15, 1910 1,019,388 Weber et a1. Mar. 5, 1912 1,059,136 Gainey Apr. 15, 1913 1,122,731 Gilman et al Dec. 29, 1914 1,252,837 Poole Jan. 8, 1918 1,386,568 Hargis Aug. 2, 1921 1,566,075 Cotton Dec. l5, 1925 1,627,263 Baily May 3, 1927 1,948,167 Cornwell Feb. 20, 1934 2,101,216 Grueschow Dec. 7, 1937 2,239,183 Willard Apr. 22, 1941 2,257,534 Renwick Sept. 30, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 21,422 Great Britain --.p 1935 

